The Smiling Death-Chapter 344: Unknown Tower

Amon and Scarlett were both sitting on a branch of a tree. Why? That was probably what Scarlett was thinking.

With a faint frown, she questioned him, "Why are we sitting like this?"

Amon was sitting beside her, very close, still holding her left hand.

With a relaxed smile, he replied, "To enjoy the scenery and spend some quality time with each other."

Scarlett looked at him with deadpan eyes. In front of them lay only the dark forest. What scenery was there? The riverside where she usually sat was far better than this.

With disbelief in her voice, she said, "For real? There’s nothing here. And you want me to enjoy the scenery?"

With a shameless grin, Amon replied, "Well, I am here though... I know you enjoy my company."

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she said, "Tch! You and your mouth. You know you are too bad at flirting."

With confidence in his tone, he said, "Yet you secretly like it."

She stared at him for a moment before saying flatly, "You are a strange person."

With his usual smile, Amon replied, "Rather than strange, I’d prefer if you remembered me as special."

Hearing his words, the corners of Scarlett’s lips turned upward slightly. Even that small smile made her look even more beautiful.

’Did she just smile?’ Amon thought, then asked immediately.

With curious eyes, he said, "Did you just smile?"

"...No," she refused immediately while looking forward.

Though her smile quickly disappeared, Amon clearly saw it and felt happy.

With a teasing expression, he said, "Now you are lying."

With a calm face, she replied, "I’m not. Why would I smile?"

Pretending to surrender, he said, "Tch! You win. I won’t persist. But know this... you did smile."

Amon said this while gazing at her breathtaking appearance.

Her beautiful crimson hair swayed gently in the breeze. Her fair skin looked smooth and flawless, without a single blemish. Her amethyst eyes held a quiet, calming depth.

For a moment, Amon could only admire her. Countless words rose within him, yet none found their way to his lips.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

His heart beat faster for a moment.

’What?’

He touched his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

Finally, Amon decided to say what came to his mind. With a softer expression, he said, "Sometimes when I look at you, I can’t understand how someone before me didn’t see what I see..."

He continued, his voice growing quieter, "Sometimes when I—"

Amon suddenly stopped talking. He noticed that Scarlett was not listening to what he was saying. Instead, her eyes had widened in shock as she stared forward.

With alarm in her voice, she spoke, "Now... what’s that?"

Amon frowned, then gazed in the same direction as Scarlett.

Now he was shocked.

Some distance away from them stood a tall black tower in the middle of the dark forest.

It was the same as the one Amon had seen last time.

They remained seated on the branch, their earlier playful mood completely gone.

’So it finally appeared. As vetaal predicted. It was really near this area ’

Amon didn’t ask for Scarlett to sit on that tree for no reason. Vetaal had told him before that they can see the tower near this area.

In the distance, the structure loomed silently. Amon observed it again. This time it didn’t vanished like before.

The black spiral tower rose above the forest canopy, twisting upward like a coiling serpent frozen in time. It was made of dark stone. So black that it seemed to swallow the light around it.

Not a single reflection shone from its surface. It stood tall and oppressive, its presence unnatural against the sea of trees.

Above it, the clouds gathered thickly.

The sky directly over the tower was darker than the rest, heavy grey clouds slowly circling as if drawn to it. The air felt different. It was denser and colder.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Amon narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending to study it for the first time. With a puzzled expression, he said, "I don’t know what that is..."

He paused, then added carefully, "Should we check it out?"

He acted as if he were seeing it for the first time, his tone carrying curiosity rather than recognition.

Scarlett’s gaze remained fixed on the tower. Her expression was serious, alert.

After a brief moment of thought, she nodded. "Yes... but we should be careful."

There was no hesitation in her voice. Only caution.

Both of them jumped down from the tree branch at the same time, landing lightly on the forest ground below.

It was only after landing that they both noticed something.

They were still holding each other’s hands.

For a brief second, neither moved.

Amon blinked, then coughed awkwardly and gently released her hand. "Ahem..."

’We have been holding hands for a while now.’ He thought with amusement.

Scarlett did not say anything. However, the tips of her ears turned slightly pink. She looked away as if nothing had happened.

Amon also pretended nothing had happened.

With a more serious expression, he reached toward his storage ring. A faint shimmer flickered for a moment before a sword appeared in his hand. The blade gleamed faintly even in the dim forest light.

Scarlett, on the other hand, did not draw any weapon.

She didn’t need to.

Her posture alone showed confidence. Her eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings carefully.

Without speaking further, both of them began walking toward the tower.

They moved cautiously, their steps slow and controlled.

The closer they got, the heavier the atmosphere felt.

The sounds of the forest seemed quieter here. Even the wind felt restrained, as if unwilling to approach the structure.

Amon walked slightly ahead but close enough that their shoulders nearly brushed from time to time.

Scarlett stayed beside him, alert and ready to react at any moment.

Above them, Vetaal floated invisibly.

His form drifted silently through the air, unseen and undetected.

His eyes were fixed on the black spiral tower, observing it with deep curiosity.

Unlike Amon and Scarlett, his gaze held something else.

Interest and there was understanding. As if he knew something about it.